According to TIME, Goodell recently discussed with Rick McKay, Falcons president and head of the NFL’s competition committee, a radical rule change proposed by Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano. Instead of a kickoff, the team that scored would then take the ball on its own 30-yard line in, essentially, a 4th-and-15 situation. In other words, they could attempt to keep their offense on the field and try to pick up 15 yards, at the risk of turning the ball over on downs; or they could punt.

This is the best sentence in the article.

Goodell is walking a very fine line between the noble cause of making football safer for the players and bastardizing the very game itself.

According to TIME, Goodell recently discussed with Rick McKay, Falcons president and head of the NFL’s competition committee, a radical rule change proposed by Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano. Instead of a kickoff, the team that scored would then take the ball on its own 30-yard line in, essentially, a 4th-and-15 situation. In other words, they could attempt to keep their offense on the field and try to pick up 15 yards, at the risk of turning the ball over on downs; or they could punt.

This is the best sentence in the article.

Goodell is walking a very fine line between the noble cause of making football safer for the players and bastardizing the very game itself.

Might as well just change the name of the sport to "Ovalball," since the foot is rarely involved in it anymore.

According to TIME, Goodell recently discussed with Rick McKay, Falcons president and head of the NFL’s competition committee, a radical rule change proposed by Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano. Instead of a kickoff, the team that scored would then take the ball on its own 30-yard line in, essentially, a 4th-and-15 situation. In other words, they could attempt to keep their offense on the field and try to pick up 15 yards, at the risk of turning the ball over on downs; or they could punt.

This is the best sentence in the article.

Goodell is walking a very fine line between the noble cause of making football safer for the players and bastardizing the very game itself.

Doesn't have to go through the owners first or at least through the competition committee? There's no way this passes....is there?

According to TIME, Goodell recently discussed with Rick McKay, Falcons president and head of the NFL’s competition committee, a radical rule change proposed by Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano. Instead of a kickoff, the team that scored would then take the ball on its own 30-yard line in, essentially, a 4th-and-15 situation. In other words, they could attempt to keep their offense on the field and try to pick up 15 yards, at the risk of turning the ball over on downs; or they could punt.

This is the best sentence in the article.

Goodell is walking a very fine line between the noble cause of making football safer for the players and bastardizing the very game itself.

Doesn't have to go through the owners first or at least through the competition committee? There's no way this passes....is there?

Not sure if this particular rule passes, but Mort said the likelyhood that kickoffs are eliminated is almost 100%

This is going to place run-and-grind offenses, or teams that are built to operate that way, at a MASSIVE disadvantage. Horribly thought out rule, since when did Greg Schiano become the Oracle of Football?

I rarely use the word "hate," and it seems inappropriate to use it for something as frivolous as football, but yeah, I hate the idea of removing kickoffs. Hate it. If the likelihood is "about 100%," then there are more people than just Goodell who are willing to bastardize the game.

It's easy to believe that the game is so big, powerful, and popular that it could survive many changes, even this--but I don't get the urge to test the hypothesis seemingly every year. A kickoff and return is a dramatic situation that can turn the tide of a game in 10 seconds. Games are sometimes won and lost on special teams.

Not to be outdone, baseball can do its part by removing sliding, flattening bases to be flush with the ground, using pitching machines, and modifying the batters' box so batters don't swing too close to catchers' heads.

shafnutz05 wrote:This is going to place run-and-grind offenses, or teams that are built to operate that way, at a MASSIVE disadvantage. Horribly thought out rule, since when did Greg Schiano become the Oracle of Football?

I think the idea is very intriguing, but I agree it gives some teams an advantage. Teams like the Patriots, Saints, and maybe the Lions would be in a better position to pick up 15 and retain possession. Heck, even the Redskins with RG3 would be in better position than run-oriented offenses.

That said, I couldn't care less about having the kickoff removed from the game. I'm not a die-hard football fan, so maybe I'm missing some implications, but the kickoffs don't hold that much interest to me.

shafnutz05 wrote:This is going to place run-and-grind offenses, or teams that are built to operate that way, at a MASSIVE disadvantage. Horribly thought out rule, since when did Greg Schiano become the Oracle of Football?

I think the idea is very intriguing, but I agree it gives some teams an advantage. Teams like the Patriots, Saints, and maybe the Lions would be in a better position to pick up 15 and retain possession. Heck, even the Redskins with RG3 would be in better position than run-oriented offenses.

That said, I couldn't care less about having the kickoff removed from the game. I'm not a die-hard football fan, so maybe I'm missing some implications, but the kickoffs don't hold that much interest to me.

On second thought, as long as Brandon Banks is returning kickoffs for the 'Skins, I am all for their elimination.

According to TIME, Goodell recently discussed with Rick McKay, Falcons president and head of the NFL’s competition committee, a radical rule change proposed by Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano. Instead of a kickoff, the team that scored would then take the ball on its own 30-yard line in, essentially, a 4th-and-15 situation. In other words, they could attempt to keep their offense on the field and try to pick up 15 yards, at the risk of turning the ball over on downs; or they could punt.

This is the best sentence in the article.

Goodell is walking a very fine line between the noble cause of making football safer for the players and bastardizing the very game itself.

I'm a defense-first football fan and watcher. They changes they've made to that aspect of the game make it almost boring to me now. Every change they propose seems to have the intent of making the game silly.

Totally agree tif. I love watching defense more than just hucking the ball down field every play and scoring 40 points per team. I hate the notion that screen plays are now "basically running plays" for the NFL. No it's not... it's a screen play. A hand off, or in the odd circumstance, a pitch, is a run. A pass is not a run.

It's becoming more and more arena football like. Eliminating kickoffs will definitely dilute my interest more than it already is.